The present invention relates to a button attaching device and, more particularly to a hand operated button attaching device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,925 to G. A. LaTorrace there is disclosed a one piece, durable button attaching device comprising a hollow pointed needle portion having a longitudinal slot along a portion of the top thereof. The rear end of the needle is immovably mounted in a rounded handle portion or other gripping means. Angular shaped fasteners having a vertical shank with a pair of oppositely slanting legs extend an equal distance from the top and bottom thereof forming approximately a 55 degree angle on one side of the shank and a 125 degree angle relative thereto on the other side.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,782 to W. H. W. Marsh et al. there is disclosed a button sewing device which includes a base, a pair of needles which carry collapsible thread formed loops, and project from the base for use in penetrating a layer of material and the holes of a button to be attached to the material; and with elastomeric material over the base compressible by pressure on the material to which the button is to be attached, and expandable to raise such material and thereby cause the loops to be opened above the button for receiving a thread bundle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,698 to R. D. Davidson et al. there is disclosed a button attaching hand tool comprising a box-like structure which includes a fixed and adjustable needle, and which includes a button storage compartment. A slidable shroud on the box-like structure for extricating a button and material from the needles is movable between a position in which an operator is shielded from injury by the needles and another position in which the needles are exposed for button sewing use.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,562 to D. R. Davidson et al. there is disclosed a button attaching tool which includes a base, a pair of needles which have collapsible and expendable thread receiving eyes and which project from the base for use in penetrating a layer of material and the holes of a button to be attached to the material, and a member for stripping the material and button from the needles.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,101 to W. H. W. Marsh et al. there is disclosed a button attaching device having a bifurcated needle holding member which can be utilized to adjust the spacing between a pair of needles, and with a needle cover which attaches the bifurcated member to protect one from injury by the needles and form a unit that can be conveniently carried on the person of a user.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,162 to C. L. Deschenes et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a fastener attaching tool particular suited for use in attaching buttons to clothing, etc. and which is constructed for use with a fastener clip which includes a pair of runner bars and one or more U-shaped fasteners having transverse bars at opposite ends, each transverse bar being connected on its side to a corresponding runner bar by a severable connector post. The tool includes a body having a front end. A pair of needles are pivotally mounted at the front end of the body, each needle having a longitudinal slotted bore adapted to receive one of the transverse bars and a knife edge formed on one side which is adapted to a connector post from its associated transverse bar as the transverse bar is pushed through the needle. The body is shaped to include a transverse feed slot down through which the fastener clip is manually inserted. The tool also includes an ejector mechanism which is slidable mounted back and forth within the body and is rearwardly biased by a spring. The ejector mechanism is moved manually forward from the rear of the tool and includes a pair of ejector rods which are in the needles. The body includes a pair of flexible fingers which cooperate with a pair of posts on the ejector mechanism to prevent automatic return of the ejector mechanism from its forwardmost position in the body to its rearwardmost position when forward pressure on the ejector mechanism is removed.
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/305,486 filed on Sep. 13, 1994 in the name of Paul A. Davignon and assigned to the assignee of this application and which is incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a needle for use in the rodless dispensing of plastic fasteners of the type comprising a flexible filament and a cross-bar disposed at one end of the flexible filament. In one embodiment, the needle comprises a solid needle block assembly holder terminating at its front end in a top adapted to penetrate a desired article of commerce and a chamber adapted to receive a cross-bar of a plastic fastener. The chamber includes a front end, a rear end, an open top and an open bottom. The open top, which is spaced rearwardly a distance from the tip, is appropriately sized and shaped to permit the insertion and removal of a cross-bar into and from the chamber. The front end is downwardly angled towards the tip to releasably engage the top surface of the front end of the cross-bar, and the rear end has a pair of walls intersecting a V-shape to releasably engage both the top surface and the bottom surface of the rear end of the cross-bar in such a way as prevent the cross-bar from being pulled out of the chamber through the open top when low tension is applied to the flexible filament (i.e., prior to the complete insertion of the cross-bar through the article of commerce), but, yet, so as to cause the cross-bar to be pulled out of the chamber through the open top when high tension is applied to the flexible filament (i.e. following the complete insertion of the cross-bar through the article of commerce).
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved button attaching device.
It is a another object of this invention to provide a button attaching device which is hand operated and which can be carried on the person of a user.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a button attaching device which is simple in construction, contains a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and is easy to use.